Nigeria’s digital economy is often celebrated for its energy, creativity, and youthful momentum. Venture capital flows, startup success stories, and the global visibility of Nigerian engineers have helped project the image of a country on the brink of technological transformation. While this optimism seems to position Nigeria in a positive light, the country has failed to build the institutional capacity to use digital technology as a tool of state power, economic coordination, and national development. The central problem is not the absence of talent, but the weakness of the state systems meant to organise, absorb, and direct that talent toward public purpose.